Did Michelle Obama once tell Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the wife of France's president, that being First Lady is "hell. I can't stand it"? Definitely not, say both the French Embassy and the White House, after the quote — from a new biography of Bruni by French authors — spent the day zipping around the blogosphere, generating speculation. Even though the anecdote has been "contested," many commentators weren't able to resist analysis: (Watch an AP report about the denial)

I'm buying the denial: The "hotly disputed" quote is a "fine scoop," says Richard Adams in The Guardian, but it's an "unlikely tale." Michelle Obama and Bruni had already met three times before the alleged incident, and "How do you like your job?" is "an unlikely question to ask at the fourth time of meeting." Still, "don't be surprised if 'Freedom Fries' are back on the menu at the White House" after this."Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy deny 'hell' remark"

This says more about Bruni than Obama: Even if she did say it, "I'm giving Michelle a complete pass on this one," says Ann Althouse in her blog. First, Carla Bruni's an infamous attention hog. And even when you factor in the language barrier, there are "a hundred ways those words could have been spoken." Given the "whole context and inflection," Obama could just as easily have meant "Of course, it's wonderful.""What Carla Bruni says Michelle Obama said about being First Lady"